Listeners who felt a little short-changed with Four Tet's previous releases due to their somewhat leisurely paced nature, should find "Everything Ecstatic" a refreshing album.

Here we have a far more buoyant and assured release, with less of the "pling plong" found on Pause and Rounds. It sounds like Kieran Hebden was perhaps listening to a lot of Fluke or Advokat whilst making this record.

Also, for the first time, it appears that he has done away with any clear "music style fusion" concept. Here, he toys with many styles, including jazz, funk, progressive rock, and, even acid house! Yep, there are 303's and 909's making their presence here.

Standout tracks are "Sun Drums and Soil" and "And Then Patterns". Great stuff.

Oh, Kieran, what have you done? I looked forward to this release with excitement, loving everything you've done with Four Tet up to now. I thought you could do no wrong. Then came this. I have tried listening to Ecstatic multiple times, thinking it must be me. . . only to wind up with gritted teeth and another migraine. I don't expect any artist to stay in a rut, churning out the same formula release after release--how utterly dull! But this...! This isn't growth into a new direction. It sounds like you were bored at the computer one day and experimented with making some not very musical sounds. Just for play. Just to be different. But then somewhere somehow this non-music became your next cd. I am disappointed. I hope (fervently hope) your next release shows you back to form, experimenting in new directions that are maybe different from the earlier material, but as musical and lush and sensuous as any of your previous, less Ecstatic output. Four Tet was the name behind some of the most original, earthy yet modern, soul stirring, fantastic music in recent years. Why'd you have to blow it? With this cd, I felt like you were having it on with us. It breaks my heart to write a less than glowing review of anything Four Tet, but I would be lying if I said I liked this. A sad, sad day...

me likey Four Tet. alot. I like that he's Squarepusher with a goofy smile, I like that he experiments, but grounds himself in a world of organic sounds: bugs and parps and squeaks.

Rounds was nice. But sometimes, when in the interests of not being accused of being "geeky" by his sister (true, apparently), things started sounded a bit one-dimensional and bland ("As serious as your life" for example). As a consequence, Rounds was wildly successful: creating 'folktronica' as a tag and Kieran as it's leader. Rounds was last years' 'Play' or 'Melody AM' Nice, but overexposed and not that challenging.

Meanwhile, the live experience was magic: Kieran Hebden takes his albums as a starting point and rips them apart live, ending each track as a stuttering mash-up of glitches and over-pumped beats. Why couldn't his albums sound so energetic, so sparkly?

And so here's "Everything Ecstatic". I guess he figured he had the right to turn up the playful, experimental dial to 8 this time around. It's fun: it's also less melodic, less easy listening and less immediate for people who don't like randomness in their order.

Back to the album: The lead track 'A Joy' is great, showcasing Kieran's drum programming talents: all over the place, but somehow still cohesive. 'Sun Drum and Soil' is even better, starting sweet and then fracturing, spiralling and getting dirty and cranky by the end. Ecstatic still has it's pure moments: "And then Patterns" is lovely, and as the one clearly tuneful moment in the album it stands out beautifully.

All in all, it's a balanced showing, with a nice blend. There's a couple of missteps: everyone loves Boards of Canada - there's no need to sound exactly like them, like on "Clouding" & "You were there with Me". Especially when Four Tet has no reason to sound like anyone else.

Four Tet manage the best balance of harmony and chaos that I've heard out there. This gets me all excited about the next one all over again. Yay for development, yay for experimentation. Next time, turn that dial up to 10, please.